Indian Leaf Butterfly Kallima inachus/paralekta

Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly
The Indian Leaf butterfly is another butterfly with iridescent blue wings on the topside. It is also called the Dead Leaf and (US) the Orange Oakleaf.
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly
The name Indian Leaf refers to both Kallima inachus (above left with its forewing points sometimes ending in "ears") and Kallima paralekta (above centre) which has a slightly different shape and brighter, richer colouring (sometimes called Malayan Leaf). The former is native to South and Southeast Asia and the latter to Indonesia (not India nor Malaysia).
Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
The Indian Leaf Butterfly uses camouflage to deter predators, looking just like a dead leaf when its wings are closed.
Indian Leaf Butterfly Male and female have similar topside colouring.
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly emerged from chrysalis Emerged from chrysalis.
Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
Indian Dead Leaf Butterfly
Indian leaf Butterfly
Above left is the "Indian", K. inachus, slightly slimmer with curled apex (esp. on female), and above right is the "Malayan" Leaf, K. paralekta, which is slightly bulkier.
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly
The varied but realistic Dead Leaf.
Indian Leaf Butterfly
Indian Leaf Butterfly The male often is darker with stronger vein markings.
Indian Leaf Butterfly